Still worth using Project Online

Microsoft's confirmation of the retirement of Project for the Web generated many doubts among professionals who use the Microsoft 365 ecosystem project management tools. The main concern lies in the future of Project Online: After all, will he also be discontinued? The question has become common since Microsoft officially announced the retirement of Project for the Web for August 2025.

This news alone has brought a certain fear to those who use Project Online, especially because both solutions are often confused. The good news is, Project Online remains available and with active support.

What will be discontinued, in fact?
Microsoft is reorganizing its line of productivity tools. With this change, the Project for the Web will be terminated and all its features will become part of Microsoft Planner. This also includes Project and Roadmap applications within Teams.

From August 2025:

• Redirection: Access to Project for the Web will be redirected to Planner
• Roadmaps: They should be recreated as Portfolios in the new environment
• Centralization in Planner: It will be the new centre for visual management of simple projects
• Licences: No need to exchange licenses or migrate data manually. The transition will be automatic, but requires adaptation in the form of planning the projects.

What remains unchanged with Project Online?
The Project Online (PWA) It's still working normally. It is not included in the list of tools that will be discontinued. Microsoft even maintains a clear position on this in its official channels: customers can continue using Project Online safely while evaluating the ideal moment for a possible transition.

Besides, there is no date announced for the end of Project Online. Therefore, if your company uses the platform as a basis for managing projects with structure, workflows and custom integrations, there is no cause for immediate concern.

When does Project Online remain the best choice?
The decision to maintain Project Online is directly linked to the maturity of project management processes within your company.

Approximately 90% of MLPro customers still prefer the use of Project Online instead of Planner. This is due to the fact that Project Online is a more mature, robust and consolidated tool, while Planner still does not contemplate all the functionalities necessary for most companies, especially those with more complex project management processes.

You must continue using Project Online when one or more of the following items is required for your company:

• Microsoft Project Desktop: Currently Project Desktop to edit schedule.
• Waterfall Type Project: For project where the sequence of activities is very important.
• Advanced Access Control: You need to control project access centrally.
• Advanced Developer: You need to develop automations to read or change schedule fields.
• Granular Resource Management: More granular vision in the number of hours spent in the activities.
• Task Approval: The resource changes the deadline or % completed of an activity and after that the project manager may approve the change.
• Custom fields: Use custom fields with specific formulas and rules.

This type of scenario is not yet supported by Planner, which has important technical limitations, such as maximum number of tasks per project and lack of support for custom formulas.

When can Planner get better?
For some companies, moving to Planner can be natural. Especially for teams that work with simpler tasks, visual flows and focus on direct collaboration within Teams. Planner presents himself as a lighter and easier to adopt solution, especially for marketing, communication or small agile initiatives.

Strategic assessment: How do you know which solution is best suited for your company?
The choice between continuing with Project Online or adopting Planner depends directly on the operational characteristics, maturity in project management and complexity of your organization's processes.

Companies that manage a large volume of simultaneous projects, with complex structures, multiple dependencies, custom fields and integration with tools like Power BI or Power Automate, tend to maintain the use of Project Online. The platform offers in-depth control, increased automation capacity and advanced governance resources, and is ideal for corporate environments requiring traceability and specific metrics.

On the other hand, smaller teams, which work with more visual flows, less interdependent tasks and focus on daily collaboration within Teams, can find in Planner a simpler, more intuitive and efficient solution to their context. This alternative is especially advantageous for areas such as marketing, communication, HR and innovation squares that value agility and quick visualization of the progress of activities.

In both cases, it is essential to make a careful analysis of the company's needs before any decision to migrate or maintain the current tool.

Mixed environment with Project Online + Planner?
One option we recommend is to maintain the use of Project Online for more structured and complex projects, while adopting Planner for more agile, collaborative and less complex initiatives. With this both environments can coexist and will be integrated through consolidated reports, offering a unified vision of the project portfolio.

Benefits:

• Best of both worlds: Enjoy the best of each tool according to the type of project.
• Gradual transition: It allows a gradual and planned transition.
• Risk Reduction: Reduces risks of operational interruption.
• Integrated reports: with Power BI you can create consolidated portfolio views (Planner + Project Online).
• Flexibility for each Area: for different areas of the company (IT, Marketing, HR, PMO etc.).

Technical requirements:

• Development of Reports: Integration via Power BIto consolidate data from both environments.
• Clear Governance: It is important to have clear rules where each type of project will be managed.
• Team training: For proper use of each tool.

Use scenarios:

• Project Online: Strategic projects with complex schedules.
• Planner: Agile initiatives, simple projects, campaigns and collaborative tasks.

What can you (and should) do now?
Even if your company does not use Project for the Web, it is worth following the changes. After all, they point to the path Microsoft is heading towards the future of project management. But this is no time to migrate without planning.

Here are some recommended actions:

• Review your current tools To understand where your operation is.
• Map your real needs especially if advanced features are used.
• Long-term planning Watching how Planner evolves.
• Count on specialized support to analyze the scenario in a strategic way.

If your company is assessing these possibilities and needs support to make the best decision, count on MLPro. Talk to our team: Click here and schedule an appointment.

We can help you make the best decision
Whether to continue using Project Online with full efficiency or to evaluate the adoption of Planner, the MLPro is prepared to support your company. We act side by side with our customers offering:

• Complete and customized technical diagnosis
• Support in defining transition or continuity strategy
• Training and training of teams
• Environment implementation and governance Microsoft

Our commitment is to ensure that your operation has the best tools, according to the timing and complexity of your business.

You want to talk to an expert? Contact us and find out how we can contribute to your results.